STÁINNAK – A HOLY REINDEER

Back in the old times, before the 60s when the engines started to arrive here in Sapmi and enter the reindeer herding. We Samis had a closer relationship with nature and in also to the reindeers.

Without snowmobiles and ATWs it was necessary to live in lavvus where even the reindeers where in those days. Then the behavior of the reindeers where always under close observation. Also the predatory animals, like wolf, lynx, bear, eagle and wolverine were kept a close eye on.

There was something called Stáinnak. I´m saying was, because it´s not so known anymore. It´s almost forgotten knowledge.
A Stáinnak is a holy reindeer. To be precise, it´s a female reindeer that is lesbian.
The Stáinnak acts like a male reindeer acts towards the female reindeer. It will jump upon them and try to mate in that manner. But naturally they never calf. 

Since a lesbian reindeer doesn´t reproduce, due to their behavior I just mentioned, you would think that they didn’t have any value.

But instead they where so valuable that they where considered holy.

That was because unlike the other reindeer they confronted the predatory animals like lynx, wolverine and sometimes wolf.
The natural instinkt of a reindeer, both male and female, is to run in panic, when attacked by a predator. Leaving their hind legs and back open for attack if the predator catches up with them.

A Stáinnak, a holy lesbian reindeer has a different behavior. They turn towards the predator and goes to attack with the antlers. That way they can fight off the predator and also save many other reindeers.

Today the Stáinnak is know as “a female reindeer that does not calf.”